3 hotels to open in next 3 months

Far East Hospitality yesterday revealed it will officially launch three hotels in Singapore in each of the next three months.

The home-grown hotel operator also announced two joint ventures as part of expansion plans to take its portfolio from 18 properties in Singapore to more than 80 across Asia, Oceania and Europe.

The Peranakan-themed Village Hotel Katong will be launched next month at the site of the former Paramount Hotel after refurbishment costing $30 million. The project recovered after a fire broke out during renovations in July last year which saw 11 people taken to hospital.

Far East Hospitality's chief executive Arthur Kiong said the 229-room hotel, located in the heritage-rich Katong area, targets those "looking for a genuine experience and not just the obvious touristy places". Opening promotion rates start from $178.

In December, the company will launch the 37-room boutique hotel Amoy, a heritage conservation project set in a row of shophouses in Far East Square in the Central Business District.

Its entrance is located in the Fu Tak Chi Mu-seum, which was built as a temple in 1824 and now showcases artefacts on the lives of early Chinese migrants.

Mr Kiong kept mum on details about the Rendezvous Grand Hotel Singapore, which is due to be launched in January after refurbishment, though he did lay out the company's expansion plans yesterday.

One venture is with Australia's largest hospitality operator Toga Hotels, which manages brands such as Medina and Travelodge. The other is with the Singapore-based Straits Trading Company.

Both are aimed at growing Far East Hospitality's hotel portfolio though no time frame was given. Mr Kiong said: "We believe there will be a lot of growth from India and China into Australia and we want to capture that."

With several brands under its management, the company plans to come up with an umbrella brand for marketing itself, he added.